Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-04-05
Especial to the New York World

Especial to the New York "orld.1
CHARLESTON, w. VA. Feb. IL
To-day witnessed the sixteenth bal
loting in this State for United States
Senator. The feeling is growing in
tense on all sides, and tile air is filled
with charges and coiintercharges, al
leging all kinds of undue Influences.
When the two houses met in joint ses-
sion to-day, Senator Morris (Rcp.)
put in nomination Gen. Duvall, and
said in his nominating speech that
methods were being used which are
dangerous, and that certain allega-
tions made by prominent Repub-
lican paper. to the effect that the Re-
pubIicans had decided to aid in the
election Of Mr.. Camden, were false
and inexcusable idiocy. He charged
that some one of the Republicans who
are weak had started these reports
without foundation, and asserted that
there was traitor in the caucus who
had been paid for giving away the
secrets. He denounced all rumors as
false and said if the secrets of the
party were to he given out for pay,
he could not understand why a party
organ would deal in such falSehOods
in order to sell its paper at the OK
pense of the party's good standing.
If the opposition believed that the
forty one Republicans would violate
their principles, let them give the Re-
pubiicans show and the next Sen
ator would he from that party. Sen
ator Morris further charged Mr.. Cam
den with having used large sums of
money in clecting members to the
Legislature.
Mr.. Lucas (Dem.) put in nomina-
ton Gov. +. w. Wilson, and in his
speech extollcd that gentleman TO the
skies, proving, by his own associa-
man, allied with no rings or cliques,
and had been the enemy of monopoly
and the devoted friend of the labor
ing man.
The vote to-day was: Camden, 81 :
Duvail. So; Wilson, s, and the bal
ancc scattering.
The opposition to Camden has been
strengthened by extensive circulation
of printed copies of Daniel B. Lucas
speech in the Joint assembly Of the
Legislature, when he first put Mr..
Wilson in nomination. In that ora
ton Mr. Lucas dwelt very strongly
on the rapid diminution Of men Of
great ability but small fortunes in the
Senate. and the substitution in their
places of men who have grown rich
through monopoly. New York. he
said. in the recent election for Sen
ator. was about the only exception to
the rule 1.-The question for us of
West Virginia to determine is" he
continued. whether we shall range
ourselves with the trticr civilization
of New York, or whether we shall
surrender our highest Offices. as q
matter of barter and sale. into the
hands of the Standard Oil Company.
or the powerful railway corporations
! which seek to control our legislation,
and direct our political destiny. -
He then quoted from hook. The
Railways of the Republic" to show
that Senator Camden was devoted TO
the interests of the Standard Oil Com
pany, and had on one occasion at
tempted to smother an investigation
in the Senate. which the great corpo-
ration wished to suppress.
Upon every other important qtcs=
ton" suid Mr.. EuCas. Senator
Camden has stood out in bold antag-
oniSm to what we believe to he true
Democratic doctrine. l cannot find
that he ever took the slightest interest
in the Interstate Commerce bill until
the latter part of the Forty-ninth Con-
grcss, when his own reelection be-
came an interesting prize stakch upon
his legislative record. Believing,
thcrcfOre..aS / do. that Mr.. Camden
is a representative Of the Standard
Oil Company; that he represents the
new phase of House of Lords in
miniature: that all of his principles
are opposed to Democracy, and all
of his methods antagonistic to pure
support him. My duty to American
institutions forbids it,
In denouncing the domination of d
packed caucus Mr.. Lucas said: docs
any man here believe. if Mr.. Cam
! dcn's name were presented at pri-
mary election, that the free DemOc-
racv of this State would select him as
! United States Senator? No man dare
assert such proposition. Nearly
every one of his champions upon
this floor carefully concealed his pref
crrnce before his election. Out of
! 5000 Democratic majority in this
! State in 1884 three counties which I
have enumerated-Jeffer Hamp-
shire and Hardy-contrihute $500!
And in the late election, in which our
majority was less than six hundred,
without the enormous maiorities con-
tributed by these three counties, the
Democratic party would have been
hopelessly and ANONYMOUSLY defeat
ed And these three counties, sec
onded by Marshall, Marion and Put
nam. are unalterably opposed to the
! Standard Oil methods and railroad